I shared the recipe a couple years ago after T found me a vintage Sacramento cookbook. (The Nut Tree was a frequent haunt during his childhood complete with airport, train and restaurant.) But for the last several cooking attempts, he’s complained (gently) that the chicken wasn’t white enough.

White enough??

Yes, white enough.

So before I tried round four, I made the silliest ever google search: “chinese stir fry white chicken”

BAM. The secret to super tender and oddly white chicken in Chinese and other Asian cuisine: velveting.

Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it either, but it’s basically coating the chicken in a bit of cornstarch and egg white (maybe with some rice wine), and then blanching it ever so briefly in hot oil.

The recipe I followed was: mix 1 pound cubed chicken breast in a concoction of corn starch (1 tablespoon) and a large egg white. Let sit for 30 minutes. Then in two cups (yes, cups) of hot peanut or vegetable oil, cook in batches for 30 seconds or until turning white. Then add to stir fry recipe as normal, making sure to cook through.

I’m still a fan of the less-fat-filled and more flavorful searing, but I must admit, the chicken was damn good and earned T’s seal of approval.

One Response to "Velveting: The secret to restaurant quality Chinese chicken"

Oh wow! I didn't know this was a thing! I am a foodie and love to cook new things and have spent a considerable amount of time learning to cook Korean and Chinese dishes (one son is Korean and lived there until he was 5). My family loves this kind of food, but I never knew how the chicken stayed so white in restaurants. I assumed it was one of those mysteries like why restaurant salads taste better than homemade salads even with the same ingredients. Now I know! Thanks! Feel free to stop by at http://lovelytl33.blogspot.com/